A character’s life of deceit unravels as their past catches up with their present. What are the consequences?

Posted in Short Story on Sep 13, 2024

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✍️ 40 stories

“In Her Skin” by Han Ly

Submitted to Contest #268

TW- violence, mentions of self-harm.I could hear the raindrops pitter patter against the plexiglass window of my rental apartment, the half-eaten risotto takeout was starting to harden. It's been three months since I moved here. The plumbing is crap, there's a leak in the ceiling, and the landlord is a total cunt, but my work needs to be done. I took out my phone to check the time-9:45 PM.It's almost time.Cynthia Lewis always leaves her house at exactly 10:15 every evening. I know this because I watch her. She kisses Jason, her husband, who ...

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“Innocent as Charged” by Odiseo Quintin

Submitted to Contest #268

Betty was the youngest of three children. Her sister Lorraine died as a youngster following a severe illness and her newlywed brother Jerome was killed subsequent to a head injury after having been thrown from a horse. Not only that, but Betty’s mother and father were only children. Without Betty having any aunts, uncles, or siblings, and now with her having been involuntarily sterilized, the Belcher family bloodline would come to a despondent end, or would it? Mother found herself infertile due to a teenage malady that impacted her ovarian ...

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“The Owl's Nest” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #268

Doctor Antigone ‘Alti’ Foxglove had left the last package delivered to her small but well-appointed manor for last. On the walls hung long-lost antiquities and pieces of puzzles and long-lost languages that she was currently deciphering. She had received several relics from her last trip to Iran wrapped specially for her but the last box was from an address she didn’t recognize.The Dean of Varunkirk University’s Archeology and Antiquities department had set the ancient tablets on one of her many desks next to a few of her reference books on ...

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“A Profession of Lies” by Space Corn

Submitted to Contest #268

Being a spy is a profession of lying. You’re a weaponized actor. You lie about everything, even to your family: your name, your background, and, yes, especially your intentions. It’s all for a purpose, however, whether it be “national security” or the protection of economic interests. It does get to you sometimes, though. You begin to wonder whether you, yourself, are nothing but a lie, a series of false contrivances. There is no one to help you answer this question. With some professions, one must simply accept it fo...

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“Karma Can” by Sherri Moorer

Submitted to Contest #268

How did it come to this? Dr. Eris Baronas lay on the narrow cot, staring at the cracked ceiling. She needed a drink. Or a vape. Or something stronger. All she got was a bologna sandwich and water somewhere amongst booking, fingerprints, facial scanning, DNA swabbing, and shoving her in this cell. Criminal justice had come a long way in the early twenty-second century. I wonder if they’ll let me out for Mom’s funeral? Her thoughts toggled between the charges won’t stick to not likely. She sniffed and swiped her tears away with a corner of h...

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“The Silence of the Unforgiven” by Marilyn Q

Submitted to Contest #268

Chapter 1: The ArrivalJames pulled up to the house that had once been his sanctuary, a place of childhood memories and laughter. Now, it was a mausoleum of regrets and silence. The weight of what he had done gnawed at him as he approached the front door, every step feeling like a burden he could barely carry.James noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Just beyond the porch, partially buried in the dirt at the edge of the property, something metallic glinted. His heart skipped a beat. The object was half-hidden under a tangle of wee...

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“Book Club” by Sarah Bishop

Submitted to Contest #268

Warning: This story contains swearing and sexual content. I know that they say you can’t have it your way all of the time, but that's just not true. The people that say things like that are quitters. They don't try hard enough. This is coming from a man who has been a winner my whole life, without the help from other people, may I add. My father raised me to be a successful and ambitious man who knows when to take in order to gain what I want. In the end, it truly does not matter how you make other people feel as long as you can get what y...

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“All but the Furnacemen: A Tale of the Wild Midwest” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #268

Content warning: Kidnapping, brothels, human trafficking, abuse, forced prostitution, violence, murder. This is a true story. August 1880, Garden Peninsula, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States of America The steam train that ran on the Sac Bay–Fayette track was chugging southward on a morning run when Louis Follo, the fireman, noticed a movement in the ditch outside. He leaned out of the train to see what kind of an animal was down there, and realized his mistake."Stop the engine!” Follo shouted to Antone Beneshek, the engin...

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“Shadows Beneath the Surface” by Cody Dang

Submitted to Contest #268

“I know who you are. Meet me at Pier 21 at midnight.” After three years of living as an ordinary man, Quenclin’s secret had been found out.It began with a letter. A plain, unmarked envelope slipped under the door of his small apartment. Inside was a single black-and-white photograph. His house. His real house, from 5 years ago. The one he abandoned. Staring at the picture, his dinner threatened to make an appearance on the floor for what must have been the billionth time today.He hadn’t meant to lie to everyone. It was meant to be an es...

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“Layers of Pain” by Esther Aardsma

Submitted to Contest #268

The ultrasound probe hovers above my be-gooed tummy, excitement building like an electrical connection to this magical instrument.-Do you want to know boy or girl?- The tech, honey blonde, sweet, smiles at us.I laugh and squeeze James’s hand.-Yes, but I already just know it’s a girl. We’ve named her Rylee.- I look at James, then blush. What if I’m wrong and it’s a boy?-You two are so cute. How long you been together?- The tech is gushing. But I feel like gushing too.-We just got married in March, but we’ve known each other for ages. We grew ...

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“The Rise and Fall of Frankie Farmington” by Linda Olson

Submitted to Contest #268

The first time I met Frankie Farmington I was driving to a new construction job with my buddy Bill. You see Bill and Frankie grew up together. They were always cooking up some money making venture. “You’re gonna love this guy,” said Bill, “he’s been trading up since we were in fourth grade.” Bill looked out the window toward his old stomping grounds. He turned...

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“Payback in the Zamborini Desert” by Day Williams

Submitted to Contest #268

Payback in the Zamborini Desert “We have all the supplies we need,” said Jonas. “Let’s get going.” He zipped up his spacesuit. “Let’s see the inventories,” said Dr. Grant. Dr. Evelyn Grant led the group. She was a renowned archaeologist known for her unending pursuit of historical truths, and she took her responsibilities seriously. She inspected the readout on her visor. “We should bring extra oxygen, just in case,” said Dr. Samuel North, the project engineer. He pointed to the endless sands of the Zamborini Desert and the rock format...

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“Karma” by Grace Bell

Submitted to Contest #268

The chirping of the birds and steady thrum of the ax was all I heard as I rhythmically swung it down, chopping the firewood into small pieces. It was a beautiful morning, the cool, brisk air brushing my face as I focused on the menial task, the constant motion almost therapy to me. I lived a life of solitude, save for my short trips into the fishing villages set up along the lake. My small house was built on the opposite side of the riverbank, away from civilization; not ideal, but I realized that the older I got the less tolerance I had for...

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“Conscience” by Sa Giv

Submitted to Contest #268

My hand would remain in the pocket of my blazer.I would not take it out, I could not risk it.Yet I had, at least to catch my face from kissing the cracked asphalt as the man crashed into me. I wish I could say our shoulders merely bumped one another and we mutually apologized before continuing on our respective routes. But in truth, I was not a believer in wishes and was not tall enough to meet his shoulder. Instead, one of his massive arms slammed into my side, sending me stumbling and careening toward the ground. A bone-deep pinching, at m...

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“The Fragile Bond” by Anna Rajmon

Submitted to Contest #268

Sensitive content: Sex work and emotional conflict. Furious, hurt, and intoxicated by anger, she burst into the room. Without thinking, her gaze locked onto the woman standing by the window. “Why did you do it?” she said in an accusatory tone, glaring furiously at her mother. Her eyes were filled with rage and hatred, all of that anger just radiating from her. “You’re a selfish, disgusting witch! I wish I’d never been born.” So much hatred in such a tiny being, consumed by the need for answers. There is so much hate, driven by love. Sh...

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A character’s life of deceit unravels as their past catches up with their present. What are the consequences?

Submissions are closed

✍️ 40 stories

“In Her Skin” by Han Ly

“Innocent as Charged” by Odiseo Quintin

“The Owl's Nest” by Cajek Veilwinter

“A Profession of Lies” by Space Corn

“Karma Can” by Sherri Moorer

“The Silence of the Unforgiven” by Marilyn Q

“Book Club” by Sarah Bishop

“All but the Furnacemen: A Tale of the Wild Midwest” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

“Shadows Beneath the Surface” by Cody Dang

“Layers of Pain” by Esther Aardsma

“The Rise and Fall of Frankie Farmington” by Linda Olson

“Payback in the Zamborini Desert” by Day Williams

“Karma” by Grace Bell

“Conscience” by Sa Giv

“The Fragile Bond” by Anna Rajmon

🌟 Similar prompts

Your character gets everything they ever wanted — only to realize the true cost.

Write a story about someone seeking forgiveness for their past actions.

Start a story with someone receiving a message from their past self, warning them of the consequences of their actions.

Center your story around a character’s attempt to escape a bad situation that inadvertently leads them back to the source of their problems.

Contest #268

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

286

Contest entries

129

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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